Tray front



July 28, 1931. R. s. TAYLOR I TRAY FRONT Filed Nov. 19, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY July 28, 1931. R. s. TAYLOR 1,816,622

TRAY FRONT Filed'Nov. 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7

WI? BY mug;

ATTORNEY ."an ice tray adapted to be inserted in a com-- partment of anevaporator, which tray has an Patented July 28, 1931 "UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE ROBERT S. TAYLOR, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TOELECTROLUX SERVEL CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATIONOF.DELAWARE TRAY FRONT This invention relates to ice trays for use inmechanical refrigerators and more par-. ticularly to an individual frontfor an ice tray.

object of this invention is to provide individual front or cover plateso arran ed as to permit the insertion of a knife or 0t or 10 leverunder the ice tray or at the side to break the tray loose when it isfrozen to the refrigerated surface on which it rests, which tray frontor cover plate does not mar the aesthetic appearance of the evaporatorfront.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanymg drawings whereinFig: 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of an ice tray constructedaccordin to this invention and positioned in a refrigerated compartment,

Fig. '2, a front Fig. 1;

ig; 3, a plan view of the tray shown 1n ig. 1

Fig. 4, a detail section on line 4-4 of Fig. 5, a front view of an icetray having a modified front contemplated by this invention; and

Figs. 6 to 9 illustrate a tray and front construction similar to thatshown in Fig. 1 but allowin more room for the fingers under the han e.In Fig. 1 an ice tray 10 is supported on a shelf 11 in a freezingcompartment of an evaporator. The tra is adapted to be inserted andremoved rom the compartment through an opening 12 in the front wall orplate 13 ofthe evaporator. It is the usual practice to provide a trayfront sometimes called a stop plate or cover plate which is attached tothe front end of the tray for closing the opening in the front of theevaporator through which the tray is inserted into the freezing chamber.This tray front is provided with a handle for conveniently inserting andremovin the tray. Due to the presence of moisture tween'the bottom orsides view of the tray shown in a tray sometimes freezes fast in"position. If

the tray front completely covers the opening 1n the evaporator through.which the tray is inserted as in the usual construction, the user 1s reuired to exert considerable force on the tra andle to remove the tray,frequently de orming or otherwise damaging the tray front."

Accordin to this invention a tray front 14 comprismg a plate having ahandle 15 formed therewith is attached to one end of the tray 10 bybolts16 or other fastening means which extend through the tray front and abracketor spacing member 17 formed integral with the tray. A strip ofheat insulating material 18 is placed between the tray bracket 17 andthe tray front 14 to prevent the conduction of heat from the tray frontto the tra thus minimizing adhesion of the 1 tray to e front of theevaporator. The tray front 14 does not completely cover the opening 12when the tray is in position in I the evaporator, but a small opening 19is left between the front edge of the shelf or support 11 and the bottomof the tra front 14 thereby permitting the insertion o a suitableinstrument for loosening the ice tray when it is frozen to therefrigerated surface, thus eliminating the necessity of exertingunnecessary or distorting force on the tray handle and the consequentlikelihood of damaging the tray front.

Instead of the previously described construction, the tray front 14 maycompletely cover the opening 12 when the tray is in the evaporator and aportion. of the tray front 14 directly under the handle 15 may beremoved, as shown in Fig. 5, leaving a space 20 through which adisengaging instrument may be inserted.

As shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, in order to allow suflicientspace. under the handle without making the latter unnecessarily large,the front end of the tray 10 may be pressed or otherwise formed toprovide a recessedportion 21 with ears or brackets 22 at each side towhich the tray front 14 with the struck out handle 15 is attached bysome N means such bolts 16. With this construcsaid front plate and be'mounted with its tion the space under the handle is inlower edge abovethe leve of the upper sur creased by the recessed portion 21. As face ofSald shelf.

shown in Figure 9, the bottom edge of the front plate 14 is above thebottom of the tray thus allowing horizontal access for an in strumentfor prying loose the tray if it becomes frozen in place.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various otherchanges may be made in the construction and arrangement withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and therefore the inventionis not limitedyto what is shown in the drawings and described in thespecification but only as indicated in g the appended claims.

I gular tray having a bracket formed integraL I claim 1. In combination,a substantially rectanz'o ly with one end thereof, a plate having aportion struck out to form a handle and secured to said bracket in suchrelation to said tray that said plate extends beyond the top and sideedges thereof, and the bottom edge of said plate is spaced verticallyabove the bottom of saidtray.

2. A tray having a. plate attached to one end thereof, said plateextending in all directions beyond the edges of said tray and'a portionof said plate being cut away to expose the bottom of said tray.

3. In combination, a substantially rectangular tray, a plate having aportion thereof struck out to form a handle'and attached to one end ofsaid tray in spaced relation thew with, and extending in all directionsbeyond the edges of said tray, a recess being cut in the bottom edge ofsaid plate to expose the bottom of said tray. v

' 4. In combination with a refrigerated chamber having an aperture inone wall" thereof, a tray adapted to be inserted into said chamberthrough said aperture, a plate attached to one end of said tray andextending beyond the edges thereof and substantially covering saidaperture when the. tray s positioned in said chamber, saidplate havmg anopening therein providing horizontal access to the bottom of said tray.

5. A support, a, member having an aperture aflording access to saidsupport, an ice tray, a bracket at one end of said tray, and a trayfront secured to said bracket, said tray front being formed toprovidelimited con-. tact with said front plate and being mounted with aportionof its lower edge above the level of the support.

6." shelf, a member having an aperture affording access to said. shelf,an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf, brackets at one end of saidtray, a tray'front secured to said brackets, and an insulating memberspacing said bracket/and tray front, said tray front being formed toprovide limited contact with ROBERT S. TAYLOR.

